Divider and cutting board

ABSTRACT

A system (and method) for use with a cooler having a plurality of interior, opposed vertical channels comprises a cutting board and a cutting board holding assembly. The cutting board holding assembly comprises a first vertical side wall coupled to and positioned opposite a second vertical side wall, the first and second side walls defining a receptacle configured to receive the cutting board. Further, the first and second side walls are configured to slidingly engage two opposed vertical channels of a cooler.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims benefit of U.S. provisional patent applicationSer. No. 61/638,342 filed Apr. 25, 2012, and entitled “Divider andCutting Board,” which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in itsentirety.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable.

BACKGROUND

The invention relates generally to ice chests/coolers typically used forpicnics, tailgating, fishing, and other outdoor activities. Morespecifically, the invention relates to a cutting board assembly thatprovides for the storage of a cutting board while keeping a divider inplace during use of the cutting board. Coolers are known in the art andtypically comprise an insulated compartment to keep items cool and allitems placed in the cooler are typically intermixed.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

In one embodiment, a system is provided for use with a cooler having aplurality of interior, opposed vertical channels. The system maycomprise a cutting board and a cutting board holding assembly. Inaddition, the cutting board holding assembly comprises a first verticalside wall coupled to and positioned opposite a second vertical sidewall, the first and second side walls defining a receptacle configuredto receive the cutting board. Further, the first and second side wallsare configured to slidingly engage two opposed vertical channels.

Another embodiment is directed to a system for a cooler. The system maycomprise a container having opposing front and back walls, opposing leftand right walls, a bottom, a lid, and a plurality of opposing verticalchannels disposed on the front and back walls. In addition, the systemcomprises a cutting board and a cutting board holding assembly. Further,the cutting board holding assembly comprises a first vertical side wallcoupled to and positioned opposite a second vertical side wall, thefirst and second side walls defining a receptacle configured to receivethe cutting board. Moreover, the first and second side walls areconfigured to slidingly engage two opposed vertical channels of thefront and back walls of the container.

A method is disclosed for storing a cutting board within a cooler. Themethod comprises coupling a first vertical side wall to a secondvertical side wall creating a receptacle defined by a gap between thefirst and second vertical side walls. Further, the method comprisesinstalling the coupled first and second vertical side walls into opposedvertical channels disposed in the cooler. In addition, the methodcomprises inserting a cutting board into the receptacle between thefirst and second vertical side walls.

Embodiments described herein comprise a combination of features andadvantages intended to address various shortcomings associated withcertain prior devices, systems, and methods. The foregoing has outlinedrather broadly the features and technical advantages of the inventionsuch that the detailed description of the invention that follows may bebetter understood. The various characteristics described above, as wellas other features, will be readily apparent to those skilled in the artupon reading the following detailed description, and by referring to theaccompanying drawings. It should be appreciated by those skilled in theart that the conception and the specific embodiments disclosed may bereadily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structuresfor carrying out the same purposes of the invention. It should also berealized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructionsdo not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth inthe appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a detailed description of the preferred embodiments, reference willnow be made to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a cooler and cutting boardsystem in accordance with the principles described herein;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged partial schematic view of the system shown in FIG.1;

FIG. 3A is an enlarged schematic view of a cutting board in accordancewith principles disclosed herein;

FIG. 3B is an enlarged schematic view of a portion of the system shownin FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3C is an enlarged schematic view of a portion of the system shownin FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following discussion is directed to various exemplary embodiments.However, one skilled in the art will understand that the examplesdisclosed herein have broad application, and that the discussion of anyembodiment is meant only to be exemplary of that embodiment, and notintended to suggest that the scope of the disclosures, including theclaims, is limited to that embodiment.

Certain terms are used throughout the following description and claim torefer to particular system components. This document does not intend todistinguish between components that differ in name but not function.Moreover, the drawing figures are not necessarily to scale. Certainfeatures of the invention may be shown exaggerated in scale or insomewhat schematic form, and some details of conventional elements maynot be shown in the interest of clarity and conciseness.

In the following discussion and in the claims, the terms “including” and“comprising” are used in an open-ended fashion, and thus should beinterpreted to mean “including, but not limited to . . . .” Also, theterm “couple” or “couples” is intended to mean either an indirect ordirect connection. Thus, if a first device couples to a second device,that connection may be through a direct connection, or through anindirect connection via other devices, components, and connections. Inaddition, as used herein, the terms “axial” and “axially” generally meanalong or parallel to a central axis (e.g., central axis of a body or aport), while the terms “radial” and “radially” generally meanperpendicular to the central axis. For instance, an axial distancerefers to a distance measured along or parallel to the central axis, anda radial distance means a distance measured perpendicular to the centralaxis.

Referring now to FIG. 1, an ice chest or cooler 20 comprises a container25, cutting board system 30, and dividers 40. The container 25 comprisesa front wall 25 a, back wall 25 b, left wall 25 c opposite right wall 25d, a bottom 25 e, a lid 25 f, and a plurality of opposing verticalchannels 18 having a depth D₁₈ and disposed on the front and back walls25 a, 25 b, respectively. Any ice chest or cooler 20 standard in theart, including any make, model, or size, may be used if the coolerincludes at least one set of opposing vertical channels 18.

Referring now to FIGS. 2, 3B and 3C, the cutting board system 30comprises cutting board holding assembly 35 and a cutting board 16. Thecutting board holding assembly 35 comprises a first vertical side wall11 opposite a second vertical side wall 13, each having a plurality offastening brackets 14 a, 14 b, 14 c. Each vertical side wall 11, 13 isgenerally rectangular and comprises an upper end 10 a opposite a lowerend 10 b, a left side 10 c opposite a right side 10 d, and an insideface 10 e opposite an outside face 10 f. Side walls 11, 13 may be madeof any suitable material known in the art, including but not limited topolymers, metals, or wood. The vertical side walls 11, 13 have a widthW_(11, 13) sized to fit in a cooler 20 orthogonal to and between thefront and back walls 25 a, 25 b, respectively.

The fastening brackets 14 a, 14 b, 14 c comprise an inner edge 14 i andan outer edge 14 o and are disposed on the inside face 10 e of thevertical side walls 11, 13. More specifically, a first fastening bracket14 a is disposed on the inside face 10 e proximal to and extending pastthe side wall's left side 10 c, and a second fastening bracket 14 b isdisposed on the inside face 10 e proximal to and extending past the sidewall's right side 10 d. The distance D_(14o) between the left or rightside 10 c, 10 d, respectively, and the corresponding fastening bracketouter edge 14 o is equivalent to or less than the depth D₁₈ of thechannels 18 of the cooler 20. A third fastening bracket 14 c is disposedon the inside face 10 e proximal to the side wall's lower end 10 b. Thefastening brackets 14 a, 14 b, 14 c may be molded into side walls 11, 13or attached by any means standard in the art. The fastening brackets 14a, 14 b, 14 c include a fastening device or fastener 12, 15. Anyfastening mechanism known in the art may be used for the fastener 12, 15including, but not limited to snaps, hook-and-loop fasteners, or pegs.In the present embodiment, fasteners 12, 15 are pegs 15 withcorresponding sockets 12. In the present embodiment, cutting boardsystem 30 comprises a first, second, and third fastening bracket 14 a,14 b, 14 c, respectively; however, in other embodiments, cutting boardsystem 30 may only comprise a first and second fastening bracket 14 a,14 b, respectively.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3A, the cutting board 16 is generallyrectangular and comprises an upper end 16 a opposite a lower end 16 b,and a left side 16 c opposite a right side 16 d. The cutting board 16further comprises an opening or handle 17 at upper end 16 a for graspingand maneuvering the cutting board 16. In the present embodiment, cuttingboard 16 has a handle 17; however, in other embodiments, the cuttingboard need not have a handle 17. In the present embodiment, cuttingboard upper end 16 a is curved; however in other embodiments, thecutting board upper end 16 a may be straight or curved with a greater orlesser angle of curvature. Cutting board top end 16 a further comprisestwo extensions 21 that protrude beyond the cutting board left and rightsides 16 c, 16 d, respectively. The width W₁₆ of the cutting board 16below the extensions 21 is less than the distance D_(14i) between thefirst and second fastening brackets 14 a, 14 b, respectively. Thecutting board 16 may be made of any material standard in the artincluding, but not limited to, polymers, wood, or glass.

Referring now to FIG. 1, individual dividers 40 are sized to fit in acooler 20 orthogonal to and between the front and back walls 25 a, 25 b,respectively. The dividers 40 are disposed in opposing channels 18 andcan be removed by grasping the divider 40 and lifting it upward toslidingly disengage the dividers from the channels 18. Dividers 40 areadapted for use with various models of cooler 20.

Referring now to FIG. 2, to deploy the cutting board system 30, thefirst and second opposing vertical side walls 11, 13 are coupledtogether such that the inside face 10 e of each side wall 11, 13 faceeach other. More specifically, the first fastening bracket 14 a of thefirst vertical side wall 11 couples to the second fastening bracket 14 bof the second side wall 13; the second fastening bracket 14 b of thefirst vertical side wall 11 couples to the first fastening bracket 14 aof the second vertical side wall 13; and the third fastening brackets 14c of the first and second vertical side walls 11, 13, respectively, arecoupled together. The coupled vertical side walls 11, 13, or cuttingboard holding assembly 35, define a receptacle or housing 37 sized toaccommodate the cutting board 16.

The cutting board holding assembly 35 is then installed in the cooler20. The cutting board holding assembly 35 has a height less than theheight of the cooler 20 to allow lid 25 f to close. The portions of thefirst and second fastening brackets 14 a, 14 b, respectively, thatextend beyond the left and right side 10 c, 10 d of vertical side walls11, 13 are inserted to slidingly engage opposing channels 18 of cooler20. The cutting board 16 can then be inserted into the receptacle 37 bygrasping handle 17; the inside edges 14 i of the first and secondfastening brackets 14 a, 14 b may also be used to guide the cuttingboard 16 into receptacle 37. The cutting board holding assembly 35 has aheight less than a height of the cutting board 16.

The cutting board system 30 allows the user to have a cutting board 16conveniently and readily accessible for cutting food, garnishments,bait, fish, or any number of other uses, eliminating the need to carry astandalone cutting board. Furthermore, the cutting board system 30allows the cutting board holding assembly 35 to remain in place when thecutting board 16 is removed, thereby also maintaining a dividingfunction in the cooler 20. Thus, the cooler 20 can be divided into afood section, a drink section, sections for different kinds of drinks,or any other type of division which suits the user's purpose. Inaddition, the cutting board system 30 can be disassembled for easycleaning.

While preferred embodiments have been shown and described, modificationsthereof can be made by one skilled in the art without departing from thescope or teachings herein. The embodiments described herein areexemplary only and are not limiting. Many variations and modificationsof the systems, apparatus, and processes described herein are possibleand are within the scope of the invention. For example, the relativedimensions of various parts, the materials from which the various partsare made, and other parameters can be varied. Accordingly, the scope ofprotection is not limited to the embodiments described herein, but isonly limited by the claims that follow, the scope of which shall includeall equivalents of the subject matter of the claims. Unless expresslystated otherwise, the steps in a method claim may be performed in anyorder.

What is claimed is:
 1. A cutting board system for use with a coolerhaving a plurality of interior, opposed vertical channels, the systemcomprising: a cutting board; and a cutting board holding assemblycomprising: a first and second vertical side wall, each side wall havingan inside face opposite an outside face and a left side opposite a rightside; a first fastening bracket disposed on the inside face of each sidewall proximate the left side, the first fastening bracket being attachedonly to the inside face and extending past the left side of eachvertical side wall; and a second fastening bracket disposed on theinside face of each side wall proximate the right side, the secondfastening bracket being attached only to the inside face and extendingpast the right side of each vertical side wall; wherein the firstfastening bracket has a first fastening device configured to engage asecond fastening device on the second fastening bracket, wherein theinside faces of the first and second side walls and the fasteningbrackets define a receptacle configured to receive the cutting board;wherein only the first and second fastening brackets are configured toslidingly engage two opposed vertical channels of the cooler.
 2. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the cutting board comprises a handle proximalto a top end of the cutting board.
 3. The system of claim 1, wherein thecutting board top end comprises extensions that protrude beyond opposingsides of the cutting board.
 4. The system of claim 3, wherein thecutting board top end is curved.
 5. The system of claim 1, wherein thefirst and second vertical side walls each further comprise a thirdfastening bracket disposed on the inside face of each side wallproximate a lower end, the third fastening bracket being attached onlyto the inside face.
 6. The system of claim 1, wherein the cutting boardholding assembly has a height less than a height of the cutting board.7. A cooler system comprising: an insulated cooler for storage of foodand drink items having opposing front and back walls, opposing left andright walls, a bottom, a lid, and a plurality of opposing verticalchannels disposed on the front and back walls; a cutting board; and acutting board holding assembly comprising: a first and second verticalside wall, each side wall having an inside face opposite an outside faceand a left side opposite a right side; a first fastening bracketdisposed on and only in contact with the inside face of each verticalside wall, where the first fastening bracket is proximate to and extendspast the left side of each vertical side wall; and a second fasteningbracket disposed on and only in contact with the inside face of eachvertical side wall, where the second fastening bracket is proximate toand extends past the right side of each vertical side wall; wherein thefirst fastening bracket has a first fastening device configured toengage a second fastening device on the second fastening bracket,wherein the inside faces of the first and second side walls and thefastening brackets define a receptacle configured to receive the cuttingboard; wherein the first and second fastening brackets are configured toslidingly engage two opposed vertical channels of the front and backwalls of the insulated cooler to dispose the first and second verticalside walls proximate the front and back walls of the insulated cooler.8. The system of claim 7, wherein the cutting board comprises a handleproximal to a top end of the cutting board.
 9. The system of claim 8,wherein the top end comprises extensions that protrude beyond opposingsides of the cutting board.
 10. The system of claim 9, wherein the topend of the cutting board is curved.
 11. The system of claim 7, whereinthe first and second vertical side walls each further comprise a thirdfastening bracket disposed on and only in contact with the inside faceof each side wall proximate a lower end, the third fastening bracketbeing attached only to the inside face.
 12. The system of claim 7,wherein the cutting board system has a height less than a height of thecooler.
 13. The system of claim 7, wherein the cutting board holdingassembly has a height less than a height of the cutting board.
 14. Thesystem of claim 5, wherein each fastening device includes at least oneof a peg and a socket.
 15. The system of claim 5, wherein each fasteningdevice comprises hook and loop fasteners.
 16. The system of claim 5,wherein each fastening device is a press fit fastener.
 17. The system ofclaim 11, wherein each fastening device includes at least one of a pegand a socket.
 18. The system of claim 11, wherein each fastening devicecomprises hook and loop fasteners.
 19. The system of claim 11, whereineach fastening device is a press fit fastener.